Agriculture

Legislation to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is making its way through both the Canadian and Japanese legislatures, officials say, bringing the deal closer to entering into force.  Earlier this month, Canadian international trade minister François-Philippe Champagne pledged that his government would work “expeditiously” to advance the ratification process, though the final passage of the legislation may not take place before autumn, according to comments reported in Canadian newspaper iPolitics.  The 11 signatories of the CPTPP include Australia, [node:read-more:link]

While the nation’s attention is currently focused on the southern border, what’s being forgotten is that millions of undocumented immigrants continue to live in the U.S. – and most of them work. And in fact, these workers play vital roles in the U.S. economy, erecting American buildings, picking American apples and grapes, and taking care of American babies. Oh, and paying American taxes. Pew Research Center estimates that about 11.3 million people are currently living in the U.S. without authorization, down from a peak of 12.2 million in 2007. [node:read-more:link]

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is conducting a survey to “help enhance the creation and delivery of information and resources” for small and very small meat and poultry processing and slaughter establishments, the agency said in a news release. FSIS is emailing a survey link to small and very small establishments that slaughter or process livestock or poultry. Owners will have about 30 days to complete the survey. [node:read-more:link]

But in recent years, Ohio’s migrant work force has dwindled, with dire consequences for small to midsize growers, like Johnston. After more than 70 years’ worth of strawberries, the farm — which Mr. Mora now runs with his wife, Martha — has canceled its signature crop for lack of labor. “Thirty years ago, there used to be migrant workers everywhere,” said Mr. Mora, who became a co-owner when he married into the family. “Now, it’s like this.” Mr. [node:read-more:link]

Ag suicides are the greatest unreported tragedy of its kind in America and around the world. If veteran suicide in America is epidemic, ag suicide is pandemic. Here's the hard data: Suicides among a group labeled Farming/Fishing/Forestry totaled 84.5 per hundred thousand. Far behind in second place was Construction/Extraction at 53.3 per hundred thousand. A few weeks ago, Washington state legislators unanimously passed House Bill 2671 which establishes a pilot program for free suicide prevention for employees of the agriculture industry. [node:read-more:link]

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality have revoked the waste management permit for Lost Valley Farm. The revocation comes just 15 months after the facility first received its permit from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Quality, which jointly manage the state’s confined animal feeding operation, or CAFO, program. Lost Valley now has 60 days to shut down, move all its animals and clean all waste systems. [node:read-more:link]

The American Soybean Association, the U.S. Soybean Export Council and the United Soybean Board express concern over pricing of soybeans which relies heavily on exports. According to the June USDA-WASDE it was projected that 48 percent of the 2018 total U.S. supply of soybeans (4,810 million bushels) will be exported, amounting to 2,290 million bushels. China represented 44% of U.S. exports in 2017 attaining 1,000 million bushels. This quantity supplied 28 percent of soybean imports into China valued at $14 billion. In comparison Brazil supplied 51 percent of imports into China. [node:read-more:link]

The European Union started enforcing tariffs Friday on American imports like bourbon, peanut butter and orange juice, part of a growing global trade rift that’s likely to intensify over the next few weeks. The EU tariffs on $3.4 billion worth of U.S. products are in retaliation for duties the Trump administration has imposed on European steel and aluminum. [node:read-more:link]

Chinese customers are holding back on some orders of alfalfa from Washington’s Columbia Basin as they wait to see what happens with tariffs, a major U.S. hay exporter says. [node:read-more:link]

Turkey Hill Dairy’s milk products are known around the world. Now, the Lancaster-based company is taking an unprecedented step to make sure its milk and ice cream aren’t made at the expense of the environment. As part of new contracts with its dairy producers, about 100 farmers located within 50 miles of the plant will be required, for the first time, to have conservation plans in place to make sure they are not sending soil and manure into local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. [node:read-more:link]